Bridgestone Sponsoring 2013 Nissan V8 Supercar Team

Bridgestone in 2013 is teaming up with Nissan Motorsport in a sponsorship deal that will see Bridgestone branding on the Jack Daniel’s Racing Nissan Altimas of Todd and Rick Kelly. The arrangement begins in round one of this year’s series, which gets underway in Adelaide on 28 February. The Clipsal 500 event in Adelaide marks the return of Nissan to Australia’s premier motorsport category after a 20-year hiatus, with Mercedes-Benz also joining the expanded series.
The significance of V8 Supercars to Australian motorsport fans can be compared with the support NASCAR enjoys in the United States. The series is more popular in its homeland than Formula One, and its international recognition also grown in recent times. The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has sanctioned V8 Supercars as an international series, paving the way for up to six offshore events in a calendar year; overseas V8 Supercars racing began in 2001 at the Pukekohe Raceway in New Zealand followed by a one-off event at the Shanghai International Circuit in 2005. It then added the Bahrain International Circuit to its calendar from 2006-2010, then the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi (2010-present).